Olivia Hussey, best known for her role in the 1968 film “Romeo and Juliet,” died. She was 73 years old.
A statement posted on her Instagram account said that Hussey died on Friday “peacefully at her home surrounded by her loved ones.”
“Olivia was an amazing person whose warmth, wisdom and pure kindness touched the lives of everyone who knew her,” the statement continued.
Olivia Hussey references controversial ‘Romeo and Juliet’ role at 16, reveals personal tragedies
“Romeo and Juliet” features a photo of Olivia Hussey in 1968. (Screen Archive/Getty Images)
“Olivia lived a life filled with passion, love, dedication to the arts, spirituality, and kindness to animals… As we mourn this tremendous loss, we also celebrate Olivia’s lasting impact on our lives and the industry.”
“We thank you for your thoughts and prayers during this difficult time and ask for privacy as we mourn the loss of a truly special soul,” the caption concluded.
Hasi was born on April 17, 1951 in Bueno Aires, Argentina, and moved to London as a child.
Circa 1967: British actors Olivia Hussey and Leonard Whiting team up in “Romeo and Juliet.” (Larry Ellis/Express/Getty Images)
Hassey became a movie star at the age of 15 when she was cast as the most famous lover in the 1968 film Romeo and Juliet. She landed the coveted role of Juliet in Franco Zeffirelli’s film, which became an international sensation.
She wrote a memoir called Girl on the Balcony about the many ups and downs she endured in Hollywood.
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“It was actually quite overwhelming,” Hussey previously told Fox News Digital in 2018. “Even when we were shooting, we had reporters waiting to do an interview during our lunch and tea breaks. And they came from all over the world.”
“I celebrated my 16th birthday while filming… When the movie was released, we traveled all over the world and I didn’t really get to spend my teenage years like other teenagers… Everyone was coming up to us for a photo or an autograph. But it was truly the experience of a lifetime.” “
“Romeo and Juliet” director Franco Zeffirelli, left, and actors Olivia Hussey, center, and Leonard Whiting after the film’s Paris premiere in Paris on September 25, 1968. (AP Photo/Eustache Cardenas)
The film made headlines even before it hit theaters. At the age of 16, Hussey stripped naked for a love scene depicting her wedding night alongside her co-star Leonard Whiting (Romeo), who was also 16 when he took on the role.
Despite appearing visibly topless in the epic drama, Hussey said at the time that she felt comfortable during filming.
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“I think it was done very tastefully,” she explained. “And in Europe, it was completely different. In America, it was very taboo. But in Europe, a lot of films had nudity. No one thought much about it. But the fact that I was 16 years old was what got me a lot.” Of money for advertising… The large crew we worked with was reduced to essential people only, and this was done later in the day when the group was not busy…
“Romeo and Juliet” won two Oscars, and Hussey won a Golden Globe for Best New Actress for her role as Juliet.
Leonard Whiting plays Romeo Montagu and Olivia Hussey plays Juliet Capulet in the 1968 production of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet directed by Franco Zeffirelli. (Bateman)
Decades later, Hussey and Whiting sued Paramount Pictures alleging sexual assault, sexual harassment and fraud over nude scenes in the film, according to the Associated Press.
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They claimed that they were initially told that they would be wearing flesh-colored underwear for the bedroom scene, but on the day of filming, Zeffirelli told the couple that they would only be wearing body makeup and that the camera would be positioned in such a way that it would not show. nudity. They claimed that they were photographed naked without their knowledge.
The case was dismissed by a Los Angeles County judge in 2023, who found that their photography could not be considered child pornography and the couple filed their suit too late.
Hussey is survived by her husband of 35 years, David Glenn Isley, her three children and a grandson. (David Livingston/Getty Images)
She also starred as Mary, mother of Jesus, in the TV series “Jesus of Nazareth” in 1977, and in the 1978 adaptation of Agatha Christie’s novel “Death on the Nile.”
Hussey is survived by her husband of 35 years, David Glenn Isley, her three children and a grandchild.
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Stephanie Nolasco of Fox News Digital and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
